Detours, Dead Ends, and Dry Holes

Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers. Take your Bibles, please. And turn would you?

to Exodus chapter 13. Exodus chapter 13. I want to speak to you today on this subject. Detours. Dead ends.

and dry holes. I am reading. Exodus chapter 13. And verse 17, and it came to pass When Pharaoh had let the people go, That God Led them. And we'll just stop right there and In the moment we're going to read a whole lot more, so just keep your Bible open.

But notice the fact God Lead. Then He leadeth me. Oh blessed thought. Words with heavenly comfort fraught. He leadeth Me.

Aren't you glad that God does lead us? That the Bible says, as many as are led by the Spirit of God. They are the sons of God. All the way my Savior leads me. What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy, who through life has been my guide? And we thank God for that, and we rejoice in that, that God leads us. And yet, sometimes, friends. we find ourselves in the biggest messes. And we find ourselves on back roads, we find ourselves in dead-end alleys, we find ourselves in dry places, and we say, well, if God is leading us, evidently He doesn't know how to read a map.

Or else I don't know how to follow, or I must be out of his will. Because if God is leading, How come I keep on ending up on detours and dead ends? and in desert places.

Well, we're going to try to answer that today from the Word of God, and we're going to find out that God does lead us. And we are on the King's Highway, and we're on a journey to joy with Christ as our companion, the Holy Spirit as our guide, and the Bible is our map. But yet, many times it doesn't turn out just exactly like we expect. We find a lot of unexpected things along the road of life. And it's not, however, because we misread the map.

First of all, I want you to look here at the discipline of detours. the discipline of detours. And it came to pass When Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them. Not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, Less per adventure, but The people repent when they see war and they return to Egypt.

But God led the people about.

Now look at that, just underscore that phrase, God led the people about. That really means that God led them in circles. God led the people about. through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up harnessed.

out of the land of Egypt.

Now the Bible tells us very clearly that God did not lead them the short way. God did not lead them a direct route, excuse me, but God led them on a detour. God led them roundabout. And it wasn't a mistake. It was a divine detour.

And why did God lead them this way? Why didn't God just say, as God was taking the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, through the wilderness and into the land that flowed with milk and honey, into the promised land, why didn't God just take the shortest route? We say that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points. It may be the shortest distance. But it's not always the best distance.

And God has a purpose many times in His detours, and He tells us very quickly and very plainly why He did not lead them directly in. It's in verse 17: And it came to pass that when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines. Although that was near. For God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war and they return to Egypt.

Now. God knew had He taken them the straight way. they would have gone through Philistia. And if they had gone through Philistia, they would have met the warlike Philistines. And when they saw the Philistines, they would have been frightened.

And when they were frightened and their hearts were filled with fear, they would have turned around, they would have turned their heels and they would have gone back to Egypt. They would have become dismayed, they would have become discouraged, and they would have become defeated. And so God didn't lead them that way.

Now, God knew that they weren't ready. They were to battle. There was a war. And God has called us to a war, a holy war. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places.

But I'm so glad that God knows what I'm ready for. And I'm so glad that God knows what you are ready for.

Now God has a land of blessing for you. And God has a place of fulfillment for you. And God has a job for you to do. And God has blessing upon blessing that He wants to give to you, and yet He may have you right now. Out in the wilderness, going round and round in circles.

And you may think that you're out of the will of God, but you're not out of the will of God. God is leading you roundabout. Because God knows that you're not quite ready for some of the things that He has in store for you. And so that winding road. That rocky road.

That desert road, that wilderness road that sometimes we find ourselves on does not mean that we're out of the will of God. God led them. This is the whole point: that God led them on a detour. God did not lead them to the straightest route.

Sometimes, folks, you can get there too quickly. I've seen these 90-day wonders. They go up like a rocket and they come down like a rock. They get out there and they want it and they want it now. But you see the reason that God led them in the wilderness, it was God's boot camp.

It was out there that he was going to toughen them. Notice the Bible where God led them. In verse 18, the Bible says, but God led the people about through the way of the wilderness. Of the Red Sea.

Now, what was that like? It was a place of hardness, it was a place of drought, it was a place of discipline. And what was God doing with them out there?

Well, God was just simply toughening them up. It was God's boot camp. It was God's training camp. And God was getting them ready.

Now, doubtless, they didn't understand it. They didn't know what was going on at that time. They didn't know all that God had in store for them. But they didn't have to know. It's enough that God knew.

They had never seen the Philistines. Doubtless, they had never heard about the Philistines. They didn't know what was out there. But God knew that they weren't quite ready. Maybe you've been praying and asking God to give you a certain job and you don't have it yet.

Maybe you've been praying and asking God to give you a home. Maybe you've been praying about your date life, the person you're going to marry. Maybe some of you are wanting to go to school. Maybe some of you are wanting to get into the ministry. Maybe some of you are wondering why you seem to be going around in circles.

You're just not. Ready. God is never in a hurry. God called Moses and to get Moses ready, he spent 40 years on the backside of the desert. God called Paul and Paul wasn't ready and Paul went down to Arabia and God just simply got them ready.

And you know, that's a blessing to me sometimes because we all think we have to be achieving and we have to be going in straight lines or we're out of the will of God. Not necessarily so. The important thing is not that you know. The important thing is that God knows and that you follow Him. Notice in verse 21 of this same chapter, the Bible says, and the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light to go by day and night.

And he took not away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. What does that pillar of fire and that pillar of cloud represent? It represents the Holy Spirit. As they came out of Egypt, the Passover lamb. represents the Lord Jesus Christ.

And the pillar of fire and cloud represents the Holy Spirit to lead them. You see, after God redeems us, God sends His Holy Spirit to lead us. And Jesus said, He, the Holy Spirit, will guide you. And just as that pillar of fire and cloud was their guidance in that wilderness, the Holy Spirit is my guidance in this wilderness. And the important thing, ladies and gentlemen, is not that I see where I'm going.

The important thing is that day by day I have my eyes on the pillar of cloud. and night by night, on the pillar of fire. Moment by moment, I need to walk in the Spirit.

Now, it may be that you're out of the will of God. And it may be that you're going around in circles. Because you haven't read your map right, and because you haven't listened to your guide. It may be that you're completely out of the will of God, and you're stumbling and bumbling out around in some wilderness waste, and you've got no business being there. That may be.

But I'm going to tell you something else. It may also be that you are perfectly in the will of God and God knows exactly what He's doing with you and you're still going around in circles.

So you see, it's your job. Just to make sure. That you have your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. That moment by moment, that there is that inner witness of that pillar of cloud. and that pillar of fire.

And that's all you need to know. You don't need to know the rest. And you don't need to understand why it is that things don't seem to work out for you right now. God knows some things you don't know. God sees some Philistines you don't see.

God sees some weaknesses you don't see. And God knows some things that you may not know.

So you just keep your eyes on him. And remember the discipline of divine detours. God had them in the wilderness for a purpose, it was His boot camp. to tighten them up and to strengthen them up. All the way my Savior leads me.

Cheers each winding path. I Tram. gives me grace for every trial. feeds me. with the living.

Now the second thing I want you to notice. not only the discipline of detours, he led them on a detour to discipline them, to help them to grow, to toughen up. But I want you to notice also the dilemma of dead ends. The dilemma of dead ends. Look, if you will, here in chapter 14 now, beginning in verse 8.

And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel. And the children of Israel went out with A high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them all the horses. and the chariots of Pharaoh and his horsemen and his army and overtook them encamping by the sea beside Phi Hahieroth before Bealcephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them, and they were sore afraid.

And the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord, and they said unto Moses, Uh because there were no graves in Egypt. Hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.

Now remember, They're still being led of the Lord. And this time, they come to something more aggravating than a detour.

Now, detours are aggravating. Nobody likes to get on a detour, a back road. But friend, there's something worse than a detour. It's after you've been on a detour for a long time, you come to a dead end. Amen.

I mean, there's a road end here, and there's nowhere to go. And it is just a sheer dead end.

Now, that's where these Israelites had come to now. And God is still leading them. There on one side of the mountains. and on the other side of the mountains, and in front, is the Red Sea. And behind them comes Pharaoh with his sword glittering in the sun and blood in his eye, and all of his armies and all of his chariots.

They were between the sword and the sea. They were boxed in. They were hemmed in. There was no way out that they could see. And now they began to blame Moses.

And their aggravation with their detour turns from aggravation to desperation. Moses, can't you read a map?

Well, he read it all right. He was following the Lord. They were not there by happenstance. It's very clear that God led them there. Look in chapter 14, if you will.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel that they encamp before Phi Harioth. between Migdal and the sea. That's exactly where God wanted them. God put them there. God led them there.

And God did it for a purpose. God had a wonderful purpose. And what was his purpose? Look in verse 3. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, they are entangled in the land.

Now you see, God entangled them there. God put them in that dead end. Because he was baiting his hook. And he was going to bring judgment on old Pharaoh, and he was using the Israelites to bait his hook. And Pharaoh will say, They're entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

That is, they're at a dead end. And God says, And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he shall follow after them, and I will be honored upon Pharaoh and upon all his host, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so. God had a purpose.

Now, let me say something else. In life, You're going to come to some situations that are not just aggravating You're going to come right up against it. And if you haven't been right up against it, you're going to come there. There's no home without its hush. And when God leads you, God's going to lead you to a place of desperation time after time again, and you won't see any way out.

I mean, there's no preacher can give you a sermon that'll tell you a way out. There's no book that's going to help you. You are just there, and there is no human way out. It is not a discipline, it is a dilemma. The dilemma of dead ends.

That's where they were. But I want to tell you something, friend, when you come to that place. There's still no panic in heaven. Only plans. Only plans.

There's never been any panic in heaven. Never. God knew exactly what he was doing.

Now the Jews didn't know what God was doing and the point I want to make is they weren't out of the will of God when they came to this dead end. They were right in the will of God. It was God that led them there. And why did God lead them there?

So that the place of desperation would become the place of dependence. That we come to the place. that uh we see absolutely no way out. And then we have to cast ourselves completely totally upon the Lord. Look in chapter 14.

And verse 13. And notice what God said to the children of Israel to do. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not. Stand still. and see the salvation of the Lord which he will show you this day.

For the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them no more forever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward. But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch thine hand over the sea, and divide it, and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Now God brought them to the place of desperation. that he might bring them to the place of detenance. What is the purpose of a dead end in your life? When you come to the place, I mean by the hand of God that God brings you there. What is the purpose of it?

Well, the four things that God told the Israelites are true of you today. What does God want you to do? Number one. Fear not. Look in verse 13.

Look at it. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye. Not You see, God will allow you to come to a place where there seems to be all kinds of things. Tafir. And then he says, fear not.

365 times in the Bible and one time for every day in the year. The Bible has said, fear thou not, or its equivalent. The Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man shall do to me. And so God brings you to this place of desperation that he might bring you to this place of dependence, that he might say to you, Fear not.

And then he says to you, Stand still. Look, if you will, please, in verse 13. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still. That is, it's out of your hands now. Finally.

There's nothing you can do. The Bible says in Psalm 46 verse 10, Be still and know that I am God. Oh, we hurry around, we're so busy manipulating, trying, conniving, scheming. But finally we come to a place where God hems us in with the sea here, the mountain here, the mountain there, and the devil behind. And there's no way out but up.

Just stand still. Be still. And no. that I'm God. We always think we have to do something, even if it's wrong, don't we?

Somebody talked about those hogs. You remember that herd of swine, 2,000 hogs that were. driven out of that Demon possessed man, and they went into a herd of swine. And the Bible says the swine went down into the sea and were drowned. You remember that story in Mark 5?

Someone imagines one of those hogs saying to the other hogs, Now look, we're in a mess, but whatever we do, let's stay together and keep moving.

Now, I think that's really the way human beings think today. We've got to do something. Just do something.

Sometimes God places us in a place where there's nothing we can do. I mean, there's no counselor we can go to. There's no banker who can help us. There's no doctor who can help us. There's no one can help us.

God just says, fear not. Stand still. Be still and know that I am God. The place, the dead end that he brings us to. I mean just a dead end.

Just a dead end. A dilemma. And then we just fear not. We stand still. And then notice next and see.

The salvation of the Lord.

Now that doesn't mean to see it after it takes place. It hadn't taken place when he told him to see it. In other words, you by the eye of faith. See what God is going to do. Didn't mean stand still and watch God do it because God didn't do it until they started moving again.

It means stand still long enough for you to see what God is going to do before he does it. You see, we see things that are not as though they are that they might be so. There is just this time of faith. Where we just simply say, I refuse to fear, I stop, I place myself, dear God, in your hands. God, if you don't do it, it won't be done.

And now by faith, I see my way out. even when I don't see it. All right, and then Then God shows us the way. The way that we've never seen before. Look in verse 15.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me, Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward. There's no contradiction here where He says, On the one hand, stand still, and then on the other hand, when He says, Go forward. We have to come to that place of rest and confidence where by faith we see God in action, and then again we move in a way that we've never seen before. And notice what God did when God said to them, Go forward. In verse 16, but lift thou up thy rod and stretch out thine hand over the sea and divide it, and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Do you know what God did to that dead end? He turned it into an eight-lane superhighway. and dry shod. They went through the Red Sea. God knows a way for you.

Have you any rivers? that seemed to be uncrossable. Have you any mountains? You cannot tunnel through. God specializes in things that seem impossible.

He knows a thousand ways. to make a way for you. I am the Lord thy God. Is there anything too hard for me? And that so-called impossibility in your life.

is God's opportunity. to display His glory. and his might. If you're living in the Spirit, And if you have your eye on that pillar of cloud, and that pillar of fire.

Now, I want us to move on and think not only of the discipline of detours. And I want us not only to think about the dilemma of dead ends. But I also want us to think about the disappointment of dry holes. Because continue to read now in chapter 15 this time and look in verse 22. And so Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea.

Now, notice Moses, God's man, is still eating. They still haven't gotten lost. They still haven't misread the map. God is still leading, but notice now the strange way that He leads them. And Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur.

And they went three days into the wilderness and found no water. Hmm. Detours, dead ends, and dry holes. You think, brother, we better throw this map away and get another one. All night long we thought at least we'd have a motel.

Now we can't even find a motel. And the one we found had got no running water. Here it is. They've come to the end of the road now, at least they're on the road, and they're weary, bone weary. And they come to this place.

Now, God hasn't sent them here because they've done wrong. This is not punishment. When they come to this place of bitterness and barrenness, they're here by divine providence. God brought them here for a purpose. You want to see what that purpose was?

Well, continue to read. And when they came, I'm reading in verse 23 now, and when they came to Mara, They could not drink of the waters of Mara, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called mara. The word mara means bitterness. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

And he cried unto the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There he made for them a statute and an ordinance. And notice this phrase now, just underscore it. And there.

He Proved them. There he pray Literally that means therefore he tested them. You know, they make a new automobile, they take it out to the test track, the proving grounds, and they put it through all the rigors, the bumps. You've seen advertisements of them going around skids and through water and over bumps and all of that. They call that the proving ground.

That's exactly what this was for God's people. God was proving them, and there it was that God was testing them. God gave them a test. And they failed it miserably. Incidentally, I'll turn to Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 2 while you're right there in the neighborhood.

And you'll see. again what God's plan was for them. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness.

Now watch it, to humble thee. And to prove these. to know what was in thine heart. whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no.

Now you see God knew exactly what he was doing. And when they came to this place in the wilderness where there was no water, it wasn't because God was mad at them. And it wasn't because they had sinned. And it wasn't because Moses was a bad lever. And the devil didn't do it to them.

It was perfectly normal and natural. If you follow the Lord, You're going to find your life is going to be one of detours. And dead ends. and dry holes because you're walking in the Spirit.

Now that's quite a revelation. That's quite a revelation because so many times we say, What went wrong? Nothing went wrong. Not a thing in the world went wrong. God is on the throne, and He's leading you.

And in this particular instance, when you come to the disappointment of a dry hole, God is giving you a test. And I pray, God, that you won't favor.

Now, how did Israel do when they came to their test? They failed it, and they failed it miserably.

Now, look, if you will, in verse 24, and you'll see how they fail the test. The Bible says in Exodus 15, verse 24, and the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And they started to murmur against Moses.

Now, that's a remarkable thing because the 15th chapter of Exodus is what we call the song of Moses. They'd just come through the Red Sea on that super highway that we were talking about, and they were dancing, ecstatic with joy, and they were praising the Lord. And now, just three days later, they're murmuring and they're complaining. I just declare, I believe that was the first Baptist church in the wilderness. There they were.

Just three days ago, they'd been singing Moses' song. And now They're murmuring against Moses. Moses has gone in three days from hero to zero. And Moses says to them, and I want you to learn this, if you're a murmur, When you come to a disappointment in life, When you come to a dry hole along the road, There's no motel for you with hot and cold running water. And it just seems like life has done you dirty.

I want you to notice when you complain what you're really doing. Exodus chapter 16 and verse 8. Look at it. Moses says in the last part of that verse, Your murmurings are not. are not against us.

But against the Lord. One of the greatest lessons you can ever learn, you teenagers who are murmuring about your parents. God gave you those parents. People murmur about the teacher, the pastor, murmur about their boss. You see, God gave them Moses.

And they murmured against Moses. And so, if God gave them Moses and they murmured against Moses, what they were really doing was murmuring against God. And when God leads you into a circumstance, And when God somehow in His wisdom leads you to one of life's dry holes, and to some of life's bitter water, And you murmur and you complain. You're really murmuring. against God.

Now I want to tell you something, friend, that murmuring is no little sin. Murmuring is a great sin, and God lists murmuring with idolatry and fornication. Just turn to 1 Corinthians 10 for just a moment. We're almost finished this morning. But look, if you will, please, in 1 Corinthians 10.

And I'm going to begin reading in verse 6 because God is speaking about these same people to the church. That is, He's speaking to you and to me. And the Bible says, now these things were our examples. to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them.

As it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. neither commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day 320,000. Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them were tempted and were destroyed of serpents. And now notice verse 10. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer.

Notice godless murmuring with tempting Christ, godless murmuring with fornication, godless murmuring with idolatry, and godless murmuring with lusting. You see, why did they murmur? When they came to this place, God was leading them. The pillar of cloud was there. The pillar of fire was there.

They were being led of the Lord. Moses was there. The Word of God was there. Why did they murmur when they came to a place like that? It was a lack of faith.

And it was also a lack of reason. God had just brought them through the Red Sea.

Now folks, be reasonable. Would God have brought them through the Red Sea so wonderfully just to bring them to a place and let them die without water? I mean, would God do that? Had God so marvelously delivered them in order to destroy them? That doesn't make sense.

Now I want to ask you a question. If Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and has saved you, Do you think he saved you to abandon you? Hmm? When you come to some place like that, Do you think God brought you that far, that God did so much, that God has so much invested in you, that He did all of that for you, and after having brought you that far and having died for you, But now he's going to abandon you? Can't you understand?

That their murmuring was rooted in unbelief, and it was a terrible, horrible sin against God.

Well, there was no need for them to murmur. They couldn't see it. There was no water. The water that was there was bitter. You couldn't drink it.

And as far as they were concerned, It was terrible. But I want you to notice what God did again. Look, if you will, please, in verse 25. I'm Exodus 15, verse 25.

Well, let's get verse 24 to get the sense. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord. And there are always those two classes of people in the church. Those who belly ache at the pastor, and those who know how to pray.

All right. And the people murmured against Moses. But Moses went to the Lord. And he cried unto the Lord. Now watch.

And the Lord showed him a tree. which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet. And he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them. God showed Moses a tree.

Now the thing I want you to see is the whole time they were murmuring, The whole time they were complaining, that tree was there. The whole time. The whole time. God had already made provision. God already knew what he was going to do.

There's no panic in heaven, only plans. Only plans. God didn't create the tree, He showed the tree. It was already there. And that tree, of course, speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ that Jeremiah calls the righteous branch.

It speaks, of course, of Calvary. For the Bible says in Peter that Jesus died upon a tree. And there, God brought them to this place of dryness and this place of desperation that He might display to them by type, by picture, by symbol. the sufficiency of Calvary and of the Lord Jesus Christ. even in the barren places.

And even in the bitter places, Jesus is enough. Oh, he wants us to learn it.

So many times we come to the test where God wants to test us and He wants to prove us, and we come to some dry hole along the road of life, some place of barrenness, some place of bitterness. Oh, I pray, God, you won't fail the test. You see, the amazing thing about this. Bunch of mumblers is this: that right over the hill, not very far away. Was a gorgeous, beautiful oasis.

Look, if you will, please, in verse 27. And they came to Elam. where there were twelve wells of water. and threescore and ten palm trees. And they encamped there by the waters.

I mean, one of the most beautiful oases that you could ever imagine. And it was right over the hill. They couldn't see it. Now, there's somebody right here. You're camped right now by a dry hole.

I mean, and the water that you can find is absolutely bitter. You're saying God has forsaken me? God hadn't forsaken you. God's proving you. You're not out of the will of God.

God brought you there. It's right on the map. That's the route. That's exactly where God wants to bring you. Don't complain.

Don't murmur. Calvary is sufficient for you. And right over the hill. God has his oasis. You can't see it.

But God can see it. God can see it.

Now look, friend. The important thing in life is not for you to know what God knows. You'll never know that. His ways are not your ways, and his thoughts are not your thoughts. The important thing for you in life is this.

that you keep your eye. on that pillar of cloud. and that pillar of fire. Which translated out in New Testament times is that you walk in the Spirit. That you keep your heart right with God.

And if you go on a detour, praise God. If you come to a dead end, praise God. If you come to a dry hole, praise God, my Lord knows the way through the wilderness. All you have to do is follow. Will you follow him?

And let him have his way. and not complain. and not murmur Lord, I would clasp My hand in thine, nor ever murmur nor repine, content whatever lot I see. Since 'tis thy hand. That leadeth.

Me. The people that God was leading. And the people that God was leading in such a wonderful way were a redeemed people. They were people who had had, first of all, the Passover lamb sacrificed on their behalf. That in the Old Testament is an illustration of a person in these days who has trusted Christ as his personal Savior.

For the Bible says Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. What you need to do today to let God lead you is to first of all surrender yourself to Him. You need to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. You need to be saved. To be saved means that your sins are forgiven.

To be saved means that God comes into your spirit and gives you a new nature. To be saved means that one day He'll take you home to heaven. Would you like to be saved? Would you like to know that your sins are forgiven? Would you like to know that God's Holy Spirit is in your heart and in your life to lead you as that pillar of cloud and pillar of fire led them?

You can be saved by receiving Jesus. And you can receive Jesus by faith. For the Bible says, therefore, being justified by faith, We have peace with God. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Peace with God.

Through Jesus. Why don't you pray a prayer like this? Lord Jesus. I'm a sinner. And I'm lost and I need to be saved and I want to be saved.

Jesus, I can't save myself. You died to save me and you promised to save me. If I would only trust you. I do trust you, Jesus. Right now.

Right now. In the name of Jesus. Amen. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683.

Thank you.